1. Field of the Invention
The invention pertains to cast-in-concrete seals for sealing between a concrete wall at an opening through the wall, and a pipe that extends into the opening in the wall. More specifically, the invention pertains to a seal that casts the cylindrical inner wall of the opening for at least a portion of the axial length of the opening plus an end of the opening, seals the concrete wall at the opening against low pressure liquid bearing upon the relatively large area of the opening, and includes a flexible low pressure gland for sealing between the inside of the wall opening and the outside of a pipe that extends into the opening.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The patented art is replete with designs for cast-in-place glands for concrete walls that seal between an opening in the wall and a pipe through the opening. The designs include tubular glands that may be extended from the opening to fit around the pipe outside the opening, and frustoconical glands having end-walls that tear out to fit different diameter pipes. The latter designs are made of elastomeric material that has low elasticity in order to resist the hydraulic pressure while sealing the opening. The low elasticity produces a moderately good seal around smooth wall pipe and not as good a seal when the appropriate diameter portion of the end-wall is torn out to fit the diameter of the pipe.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,759,280 patented Sep. 18, 1973 by H. Swanson; 5,529,312 patented Jun. 25, 1996 by Skinner et al.; and 5,941,535 patented Aug. 24, 1999 by J. Richard have designs that comprise a flexible elastomeric sleeve that has an outwardly flared flange on one end of the sleeve that is cast in the concrete wall around a hole through the wall. The other end of the sleeve is sealed by a circumferential clamp on the sleeve, around a pipe that extends into the hole in the wall.
It is one object of the invention to provide a cast-in concrete seal system that seals effectively around various diameter pipes.
It is another object of the invention that the cast-in concrete seal system is flexible to effectively seal around pipes of smooth wall, corrugated wall, and irregular wall surface wall.
It is another object of the invention that the cast-in-place seal system is stiff enough to seal the wall against low pressure hydraulic force over a relatively large diameter opening in the wall when no pipe is to be inserted through the opening.
A sealed aperture and low pressure pipe seal in a concrete wall of a low pressure vessel comprises a rigid cap that formed or cast the sealed aperture in the concrete wall. The cap comprises a first tubular wall cast in the concrete wall, having a first end and a second end, and a first annular wall sealingly closing the first end of the first tubular wall, the first tubular wall comprising a first diameter; the sealed aperture and low pressure pipe seal in the wall also comprises a unitary molded flexible tubular gland having a length, a first end and a second end, the first end of the tubular gland extending over the outer side of the second end of the first tubular wall sealingly on the first tubular wall and in the concrete wall, first means for anchoring the tubular gland in the concrete, extending radially outward from the first end of the tubular gland, cast in the concrete wall when the first tubular wall cast the aperture in the concrete wall, the second end of the tubular gland comprising a second diameter that is smaller than the first diameter of the first tubular wall.
A first form wall for casting the concrete wall, extends across a first side of the concrete wall and across the first annular wall adjacent to the first annular wall supporting the first annular wall against axial movement of the first annular wall toward the first form wall, a second form wall extending across a second side of the concrete wall, means for supporting the first annular wall axially and radially extend from the second form wall into the tubular gland and the first tubular wall.
In one arrangement of the invention a second annular wall integrally molded with the tubular gland on the second end of the tubular gland, seals the second end of the tubular gland. The second annular wall comprises an annular tear-out groove for opening the second end of the tubular gland for receiving a pipe in the tubular gland for sealing the second annular wall around a pipe, means for folding the tubular gland axially within the first tubular wall, extend from the first annular wall.
A second annular wall integrally molded with the tubular gland on the second end of the tubular gland, seal the second end of the tubular gland, the second annular wall comprises an annular tear-out groove for opening the second end of the tubular gland for receiving a pipe in the tubular gland for sealing the tubular gland around a pipe, means for folding the tubular gland axially within the first tubular wall extends from the first annular wall.